October 16, 2017
A funeral service was held in Kingaroy on Monday for World War II veteran and RSL stalwart Ronald Peter “Curly” Chalmers.
Ron was born in Maryborough on June 26, 1924, the second child of Peter and Mabel (nee Brunke) Chalmers.
He grew up during the Depression, so he knew what it was like to go without a lot of things, including food.
Ron attended school at Mt Perry, where his father was the Postmaster. Towards the end of 1933, the family moved to Kingaroy and Ron attended Kingaroy State School.
At the age of 13, Ron began work with Harry “Clucky” Muston as an office boy. Muston’s shop was on the corner of Glendon Street and Alford Street, the little timber office next to radio station 4SB.
He then went to work at Townson and Heaslop’s Garage as a bowser boy. The garage was situated on the corner of Kingaroy and Alford streets, opposite the Club Hotel.
Ron began an apprenticeship with the garage as a motor mechanic.
When he turned 18, he enlisted in the Citizens’ Military Force on July 1, 1942, and served full time there until April 13, 1943.
The next day, he enlisted in the AIF and served there, with great distinction, until August 27, 1946. Ron saw active service in New Guinea, Bougainville and New Britain and was awarded five medals and the Active Service Badge.
When Ron came home, he returned to work as a mechanic at the same garage, Townson and Heaslop’s.
It was later sold to Austral Motors, then to Bob Ditchman and was moved to where Woolworths now stands. While there, Ron was promoted to workshop foreman.
He remained there until he retired in 1984, aged 60 years.
On December 2, 1950, Ron married Esmé Daphne Weier. The couple had five children: Wayne, Christine, Shelley, Ross and Janeen; and later nine grandchildren: Dean, Peter, Daniel, Francis, Damon, Kacey, Jarin, Conner and Jordan.
He and wife Esme celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary last December.
Ron always had a love for dogs; there was always a dog in the family, but the one who remained most precious to him was a little fox terrier, which arrived at his and Esmé’s home, presumably dumped, not wearing a collar or microchipped and as Esmé recalls “as skinny as a grass straw,” just on dark on the evening of August 9, 2015.
That was the day before their daughter Christine died of pneumonia three years earlier. Ron always said the dog was sent to him and Esmé by Christine and he was determined to call it “Chrissy”. “Chrissy” is still at the family home with Esmé and they both miss Ron very much.
For the past 30 years or so, Ron was an usher at St John’s Lutheran Church in Kingaroy. He regularly ushered every Sunday with John Larsen and others.
He was also a Life Subscriber of the Kingaroy Branch of the RSL.
Ron always treated his parents with the greatest respect, looked after his invalid sister, served his country in time of war and served his God and his church in times of peace. He worked at the same garage all of his working (non-military) life, he stayed there… while the bosses and management of the garage changed.
Ron was a friend to many. A good, hard-working, honest Australian who made a significant contribution to his country, to Kingaroy, to his church, and to his family.
[Taken from the Eulogy read at the funeral service at Virgo’s Chapel by Russell Lebsanft]
